Did Adults Experience Changes in Body Weight During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Authors : Aslı Gizem Çapar, Eda Başmısırlı, Neşe Kaya, Hasan Durmuş, Mualla Aykut, Neriman İnanç

Pages : 247-253

Doi:10.61399/ikcusbfd.1373876

View : 47 | Download : 37

Publication Date : 2025-06-14

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective: In pandemic periods, due to changes in individual food preferences and dietary habits, it is stated that healthy, adequate, and balanced nutrition should be among the risk management strategies for pandemics. Therefore, this research aims to reveal the dietary habits and body weight changes of healthy individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 419 healthy adults aged from 18 to 65 years who live in Kayseri. The data collection was obtained through Google Forms via the online survey social network (WhatsApp). Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.91±12.80 years, and their body mass index (BMI) was 25.80±4.78 kg/m2. During the pandemic period, the body weight of 55.1% of the participants changed, 71.4% of them increased and 28.6% decreased. When compared according to BMI groups, the increase in body weight among obese individuals (8.25±5.54 kg/m2) was found to be statistically significantly higher than that of individuals with normal body weight (4.39±1.78 kg/m2) (p<0.001). Conclusion: As a result of this study, a significant increase in body weight among obese individuals during the pandemic period has been identified. Therefore, it is believed that implementing necessary regulations to prevent obesity in pre-pandemic periods by healthcare professionals would be beneficial.
Keywords : Beslenme, COVID-19, obezite, beslenme alışkanlıkları

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